IC card adapter with card receptors in the sides of the housing

ABSTRACT

An IC card adapter to be connected to an electronic device such as electronic computers includes an IC card receptor portion for removably storing a plurality of IC cards, a connector portion to be connected to the electronic device and a device for selectively connecting one or more of the IC cards to the computer.

This application is a continuation of copending application Ser. No.07/392,451, filed on Aug. 11. 1989, the entire contents of which arehereby incorporated by reference, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,429.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an IC card adapter for use inselectively adding to an electronic device such as electronic computersor electronic printers at least a new function stored in an IC card.

There is a case where a function or functions which are not includedoriginally in such electronic device are to be added thereto or acertain original function thereof is to be modified or replaced byanother. In order to make it possible to respond to such a requirement,it is highly desired to provide an adapter capable of selectively aincorporating a desired one of a plurality of IC cards each havingintegrated circuit devices such as CPU, ROM and/or RAM etc, and adesired program stored therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention intends to provide an IC card adapter capable ofremovably incorporating, in an electronic device such as computers, wordprocessors or printers, at least one IC car having its own program tothereby make it possible to operate the electronic device on a basis ofthe program which is not included originally in the electronic device.

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, an IC cardadapter includes a housing, an IC card receptor portion provided in oron the housing for removably receiving a plurality of individual ICcards and a connector portion provided in the front portion of thehousing and adapted to electrically and mechanically connect the IC cardadapter to the electronic device.

According to a second embodiment of the present invention, an IC cardadapter includes, in addition, means for selectively incorporating adesired one or more of the IC cards in the receptor portion thereof inthe electronic device.

The means for selectively incorporating the desired IC card in theelectronic device comprises means responsive to a control signal fromthe electronic device or from a manually operatable switch circuit. Inthe latter case, an external selection of a desired IC card becomespossible.

It is possible to provide an indicator on the housing to indicate the ICcard selected.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, itshould be understood that the detailed description and specificexamples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, aregiven by way of illustration only, since various changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawingswhich are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitativeof the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows schematically an arrangement of an IC card adapteraccording to the present invention with respect to an electronic device;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a lateral type IC card adapter;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the IC card adapter at a line III--III in FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a vertical type IC card adapter; and

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken along a line V--V in FIG. 4, with the ICcard receptor filled with IC cards.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIGS. 1 to 3 an embodiment of an IC card adapter according to thepresent invention comprises a housing 7 including a card receptor 2 oflateral type for removably receiving a plurality of individual IC cards1a, 1b,..., 1n and a connector portion 4 for connecting electrically andmechanically the card receptor 2 to an electronic device 3 such ascomputers, word processors or electronic printers The connector portion4 may respond to a control signal 31 from the electronic device 3 Whichmay be given according to a program incorporated therein to selectdesired one or more of the IC cards 1a, 1b...1n.

In order to allow an external selection of desired one or more of the ICcards to be connected to the electronic device 3, a switch circuit 5 isprovided in the housing 7. The switch circuit 5 is adapted to produce anexternal control signal 32 upon which an external IC card selectionbecomes possible. The switch circuit 5 includes a manual switch 51 andthe external control signal is produced by manually operating the switch51.

An indicator 6 is associated with the switch circuit 5 to indicate aselected IC card.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 7 has a plurality of slots 71 in which thecard receptor 2 is provided, respectively, to removably receive theindividual IC card 1a, 1b... or 1n, horizontally.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, a hatched portion shows a slot 71 which has received ahorizontally disposed IC card.

The manual switch 51 is provided in the rear corner of the housing 7.The connector portion 4 is formed in the front end portion of thehousing 7, which, when the adapter is moved in the arrow direction 72,fits electrically and mechanically in a connector portion (not shown) ofthe electronic device which is connected to electronic circuits of theelectronic device for expanding function of the electronic device whenit is an electronic computer, or for a font expansion/format settingfunction when it is a word processor.

The indicator 6 which may be a 7-segment LED is provided in a sidesurface of the housing, so that an IC card selected upon the controlsignal 31 from the electronic device 3 or from the manual switch 51through the switch circuit 5 can be displayed suitably thereon.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 which are a plan view and a side view of anotherembodiment of the present invention, respectively, an IC adapterincludes a housing 7' on which a plurality of vertical IC card receptors2 are arranged side by side in which respective IC cards 1a, 1b..., 1nare to be inserted vertically. A manual switch 51 and a display 6 areprovided on the rear portion of the housing 7' similarly to theembodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and a connector portion 4 is alsoprovided in the front portion of the housing 7'. Functions of theseelements are the same as those shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively.

The IC card adapter is fitted in a connector portion (not shown) of theelectronic device 3 by inserting it into the connector portion of thedevice as shown by the arrow 73. A selection of a desired IC card isperformed by the control signal 31 to be supplied from the electronicdevice internally or by the signal 32 to be produced by operating themanual switch 51 as in the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and3.

As mentioned above, according to the present invention, by mounting onthe electronic device, the present IC card adapter mounted the IC cardthereon, it is possible to easily exchange an IC card to be incorporatedin the electronic device, to thereby change a program of the latteraccording to demand.

Further, since it is possible to arrange a plurality of different ICcards, it is possible to increase or replace the CPU(s), ROM(s) and/orRAM(s), resulting in a multi-function electronic device. Further, it maybe possible to incorporate more than one IC card in the electronicdevice, simultaneously.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same maybe varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as adeparture from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all suchmodifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intendedto be included within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An IC card adapter connectable to an electronicdevice, said adapter holding a plurality of individual IC cards andcomprising a housing having a card receptor portion for simultaneouslyreceiving the plurality of individual IC cards, the individual IC cardsbeing readily detachable from the card receptor portion, and the adapterfurther comprising a connector portion provided in the front portion ofthe housing, said connector portion electrically and mechanicallyconnecting the adapter to an electronic device, the adapter furthercomprising a plurality of slots defined in sides of the housing, thecard receptor portion being provided in the slots and the individual ICcards being inserted in individual slots, some of the sides of thehousing having the slots being opposed to one another.
 2. The IC cardadapter as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for selectingone or more of the IC cards, said means including the connector portionwhich is responsive to a control signal from an electronic device. 3.The IC card adapter as recited in claim 2, wherein the means forselecting further comprises a switch circuit provided in said housingfor manual IC card selection.
 4. The IC card adapter as recited in claim3, wherein the switch circuit includes a switch provided on the housing,the switch being at an end of the housing generally opposite to thefront portion at which the connector portion connects the adapter to anelectronic device.
 5. The IC card adapter as recited in claim 1, whereinthe connector portion extends from the front portion of the housingthrough the housing to each of the individual IC cards.
 6. The IC cardadapter as recited in claim 5, wherein an end of the connector portionis exposed at the front portion of the housing and wherein the housingforms a recess at the front portion thereof which surrounds an exposedpart of the connector portion.
 7. The IC card adapter as recited inclaim 1, wherein the card receptor portion receives at least some of theIC cards in a direction generally perpendicular to a direction in whichan electronic device receives the connector portion.
 8. The IC cardadapter as recited in claim 1, wherein the front portion of the housingin which the connector portion is provided comprises a side of thehousing which is generally perpendicular to said some of the sideshaving the slots defined therein.
 9. The IC card adapter as recited inclaim 1, wherein the housing has a generally rectangular shape.
 10. TheIC card adapter as recited in claim 1, wherein some of the individual ICcards are insertable into and removable from the card receptor portionin generally opposed directions, at least front ends of each IC cardbeing operatively connected in the card receptor portion to the adapterwhile rear ends of each IC card are free of electrical connections. 11.The IC card adapter as recited in claim 1, wherein the connector portionhas a generally flat portion exposed outside the housing at the frontportion thereof, the flat portion lying in a first plane and each of theindividual IC cards being generally flat, each IC card when received inthe card receptor portion lying in a plane which is substantiallyparallel to the first plane.
 12. The IC card adapter as recited in claim11, wherein each IC card received in the card receptor portion generallylies in the same plane such that the IC cards received in the cardreceptor portion are generally parallel.
 13. The IC card adapter asrecited in claim 1, wherein the connector portion only extends from thefront portion of the housing such that the adapter is mechanicallyconnectable to an electronic device only at a front side thereof.
 14. AnIC card adapter connectable to an electronic device, said adapterholding a plurality of individual IC cards and comprising a housinghaving a card receptor portion for simultaneously receiving theplurality of individual IC cards, the individual IC cards being readilydetachable from the card receptor portion, and the adapter furthercomprising a connector portion provided in the front portion of thehousing, said connector portion electrically and mechanically connectingthe adapter to an electronic device, some of the individual IC cardsbeing insertable into and removable from the card receptor portion ingenerally opposed directions, at least front ends of each IC card beingoperatively connected in the card receptor portion to the adapter whilerear ends of each IC card are free of electrical connections.
 15. The ICcard adapter as recited in claim 14, further comprising means forselecting one or more of the IC cards, said means including theconnector portion which is responsive to a control signal from anelectronic device.
 16. The IC card adapter as recited in claim 15,wherein the means for selecting further comprises a switch circuitprovided in said housing for manual IC card selection.
 17. The IC cardadapter as recited in claim 16, wherein the switch circuit includes aswitch provided on the housing, the switch being at an end of thehousing generally opposite to the front portion at which the connectorportion connects the adapter to an electronic device.
 18. The IC cardadapter as recited in claim 14, wherein the connector portion extendsform the front portion of the housing through the housing to each of theindividual IC cards.
 19. The IC card adapter as recited in claim 18,wherein an end of the connector portion is exposed at the front portionof the housing and wherein the housing forms a recess at the frontportion thereof which surrounds an exposed part of the connectorportion.
 20. The IC card adapter as recited in claim 14, wherein thecard receptor portion receives at least some of the IC cards in adirection generally perpendicular to a direction in which an electronicdevice receives the connector portion.
 21. The IC card adapter asrecited in claim 14, wherein the connector portion has a generally flatportion exposed outside the housing at the front portion thereof, theflat portion lying in a first plane and each of the individual IC cardsbeing generally flat, each IC card when received in the card receptorportion lying in a plane which is substantially parallel to the firstplane.
 22. The IC card adapter as recited in claim 21, wherein each ICcard received in the card receptor portion generally lies in the sameplane such that the IC cards received in the card receptor portion aregenerally parallel.
 23. The IC card adapter as recited in claim 14,wherein the connector portion only extends from the front portion of thehousing such that the adapter is mechanically connectable to anelectronic device only at a front side thereof.
 24. An IC card adapterconnectable to an electronic device, said adapter holding a plurality ofindividual IC cards and comprising a housing having a card receptorportion for simultaneously receiving the plurality of individual ICcards, the individual IC cards being readily detachable from the cardreceptor portion, and the adapter further comprising a connector portionprovided in the front portion of the housing, said connector portionelectrically and mechanically connecting the adapter to an electronicdevice, the card receptor portion receiving at least some of the ICcards in a direction generally perpendicular to a direction in which anelectronic device receives the connector portion, the connector portionhaving a generally flat portion exposed outside the housing at the frontportion thereof, the flat portion lying in a first plane and each of theindividual IC cards being generally flat, each IC card when received inthe card receptor portion lying in a plane which is substantiallyparallel to the first plane.
 25. The IC card adapter as recited in claim24, further comprising means for selecting one or more of the IC cards,said mans including the connector portion which is responsive to acontrol signal from an electronic device.
 26. The IC card adapter asrecited in claim 25, wherein the means for selecting further comprises aswitch circuit provided in said housing for manual IC card selection.27. The IC card adapter as recited in claim 26, wherein the switchcircuit includes a switch provided on the housing, the switch being atan end of the housing generally opposite to the front portion at whichthe connector portion connects the adapter to an electronic device. 28.The IC card adapter as recited in claim 24, wherein each IC cardreceived in the card receptor portion generally lies in the same planesuch that the IC cards received in the card receptor portion aregenerally parallel.
 29. An IC card adapter connectable to an electronicdevice, said adapter holding a plurality of individual IC cards andcomprising a housing having a card receptor portion for simultaneouslyreceiving the plurality of individual IC cards, the individual IC cardsbeing readily detachable from the card receptor portion, and the adapterfurther comprising a connector portion provided in the front portion ofthe housing, said connector portion electrically and mechanicallyconnecting the adapter to an electronic device, the adapter furthercomprises means for selecting one or more of the IC cards, said meansincluding the connector portion which is responsive to a control signalfrom an electronic device.
 30. The IC card adapter as recited in claim29, wherein the means for selecting further comprises a switch circuitprovided in said housing for manual IC card selection.
 31. The IC cardadapter as recited in claim 30, wherein the switch circuit includes aswitch provided on the housing, the switch being at an end of thehousing generally opposite to the front portion at which the connectorportion connects the adapter to an electronic device.
 32. The IC cardadapter as recited in claim 29, wherein the connector portion extendsfrom the front portion of the housing through the housing to each of theindividual IC cards.
 33. The IC card adapter as recited in claim 32,wherein an end of the connector portion is exposed at the front portionof the housing and wherein the housing forms a recess at the frontportion thereof which surrounds an exposed part of the connectorportion.
 34. The IC card adapter as recited in claim 29, wherein thecard receptor portion receives at least some of the IC cards in adirection generally perpendicular to a direction in which an electronicdevice receives the connector portion.
 35. The IC card adapter asrecited in claim 29, wherein the card receptor portion is provided on atop surface of the housing.
 36. The IC card adapter as recited in claim35, wherein the front portion of the housing in which the connectorportion is provided comprises a side of the housing which is generallyperpendicular to the top surface of the housing having the card receptorportion.
 37. The IC card adapter as recited in claim 29, wherein some ofthe individual IC cards are insertable into and removable from the cardreceptor portion in generally opposed directions, at least front ends ofeach IC card being operatively connected in the card receptor portion tothe adapter while rear ends of each IC card are free of electricalconnections.
 38. The IC card adapter as recited in claim 29, wherein theconnector portion has a generally flat portion exposed outside thehousing at the front portion thereof, the flat portion lying in a firstplane and each of the individual IC cards being generally flat, each ICcard when received in the card receptor portion lying in a plane whichis substantially parallel to the first plane.
 39. The IC card adapter asrecited in claim 28, wherein each IC card received in the card receptorportion generally lies in the same plane such that the IC cards receivedin the card receptor portion are generally parallel.
 40. The IC cardadapter as recited in claim 29, wherein the connector portion onlyextends from the front portion of the housing such that the adapter ismechanically connectable to an electronic device only at a front sidethereof.